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After a discussion with Sally about what to do for this assignment I have decided to use Lucid Press for the eight page pull-out I have to design about Hull FC and World War 1 legend Jack Harrison instead of In Design.

The name of John ‘Jack’ Harrison is synonimous with the history of Hull as a hero in two very different elements which still resonate today with the people of Hull and beyond.

Jack was born on 12 November 1890, he was the fourth of seven born to John and Charlotte Harrison and lived his early life in Williamson Street and Newbridge Road, close to Hull KR’s home ground on Craven Street.

His father was a plater and boilermaker at Earle’s Shipyard so Jack came from a very humble background, but his parents worked very hard to give him the best start in life they could, at the time when university places were the almost exclusive right of the wealthy they worked hard enough to get him a place at what is now York St. John University.

Whilst he was in York Jack trained to be a teacher and also represented his college at Swimming, Cricket and also in Rugby League for which he had exceptional talent.

Jack signed amateur forms to play for York Rugby League club and he appeared in five games for them and scored three tries in the process.

Jack qualified as a teacher in 1912 and returned to his hometown when he gained a post as a teacher at Lime Street School, when he returned everyone expected him to sign for Hull KR because of his East Hull roots and the fact that his father had supported them and indeed York had occasion to believe that Rovers had made a dodgy approach to sign him while he was playing for them but Jack said they had approached him before he ever turned out for York.

In a surprising move Jack opted to sign for the black and white side of Hull and made his debut for Hull FC in September 1912, he went on to score 17 tries in 29 games in his first season at The Boulevard.

The 1913-14 season was a triumphant one for Jack and the team as they achieved what the team had been built for and won the most famous competition in World Rugby League the Challenge Cup. Hull, who had a few years before become the first team ever to lose three consecutive Challenge Cup Finals, beat Wakefield Trinity 6-0 in the final at Thrum Hall, Halifax, and it was Jack who scored the decisive second try to wrap up the victory.

On 1 September 1914 Jack married his sweetheart Lillian Ellis and they set up home in Wharncliffe Street, Chanterlands Avenue, married life obviously suited him as he then went on to score the club record of 52 tries in the 1914-15 season, a record which still stands to this day.

Of course by the end of that season World War 1 was raging all over Europe and on 4th November 1915 Jack signed up for the East Yorkshire regiment and was sent for officer training at Inns of Court Officer Training Corps and was subsequently commissioned as a temporary 2nd Lieutenant.

On 25th March 1917 Jack became a war hero by leading a patrol in No Man’s Land and capturing a prisoner and, for setting an outstanding example, he was awarded the Military Cross, the citation for it reads: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He handled his platoon with great courage and skill, reached his objective under the most trying conditions and captured a prisoner. He set a splendid example throughout.

Jack was tragically killed at Oppy Wood in northern France on 3 May 1917 ina show of extreme bravery to try and save the lives of the men of his platoon as they were held down by heavy machine-gun fire, for his bravery and self-sacrifice he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the citation for this award says:

For the most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice in an attack. Owing to darkness and to smoke from the enemy barrage and from our own, and to the fact that our objective was in a dark wood, it was impossible to see when our barrage had lifted off the enemy front line. Nevertheless 2nd lieutenant John Harrison led his company against the enemy trench and under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, but was repulsed. Re-organising his command as best he could in No Man’s Land, he again attacked in darkness, under heavy fire, but with no success. Then turning round, this gallant officer single-handed made a dash at the machine-gun hoping to knock-out the gun and so save the lives of many of his company. His self-sacrifice and absolute disregard of danger was an inspiring example to all. He is reported missing; presumed dead.

There is a memorial to him outside the KC Stadium but some people are now calling for his memory to be honoured in the form of a statue at the Cenotaph in Hull City Centre

FC Voices had their Remembrance Service in memory of all Hull FC players, Supporters and other club representatives who have made the ultimate sacrifice over the years fighting for their country at the Jack Harrison Memorial outside the KC Stadium on Saturday morning.

The respectful and deeply dignified ceremony was attended by supporters and representatives of the club including Hull FC Head of Media James Clark.

A band, formed by supporters, played relevant music including Abide With Me and Old Faithful as well as the traditional Last Post and Reveille to start and end a minutes silence which was impeccably observed by all who were present, much unlike the minutes silence which was disgustingly broken by ‘fans’ at the stadium that afternoon when football teams Hull City and Middlesborough played each other.

FC Voices were represented by Lisa Jewitt and Jed Rust among others and Up The Cream editor Dan Tomlinson was also present to see a wreath of poppies laid in front of the memorial dedicated to club legend Jack Harrison who won the Military Cross and, posthumously, the Victoria Cross when laying down his life in Northern France in 1917.

There was a reading of a wartime poem and a dedication from the club chaplain and the whole ceremony was bound up with a very respectful and enjoyable feeling and atmosphere and was obviously extremely well organised by FC Voices who deserve enormous credit for the many things they do on behalf of both club and supporters.

I have also got myself a readers ticket for Hull History Centre which enables me to read anything in there so I have read many biographical articles about him, including a book of reports about the seasons he played for Hull FC which is why I now know for certain that he set his club try scoring record in 1914-15 as opposed to 1913-14 season which is a common mistake in many publications.

Hull FC have been in existence for 150 years and one of their club records has stood for 100 of those years.

Jack Harrison was born on 12 November 1890, he was the fourth out of what eventually became seven children to John and Charlotte Harrison. The family lived in Williamson Street and Newbridge Road in East Hull, near to Hull KR’s home ground on Craven Street, Jack even attended Craven Street School.

John (born in 1861) was a plater and boiler maker at Earle’s Shipyard so Jack came from a very humble, but well-to-do, background and his parents were determined to give him the best possible start they could in life so worked tirelessly enabling Jack to gain a place at York St. John’s University at a time when university places were the exclusive right of the wealthy.

While studying there Jack represented the college at swimming, cricket and rugby league, it was this that attracted the attention of York rugby league club and persuaded them to sign him as an amateur. Jack played 5 times for York and scored 3 tries for them.

In 1912 Jack qualified as a teacher and returned to his hometown where he would teach at Lime Street School, everyone expected he would sign for Hull KR because of his East Hull roots and the fact that his father supported them, indeed York had grounds for suspicion that Rovers had made an illegal approach to try and sign him while he was playing for them, but Jack scotched the rumour saying they had approached him before he turned out for York, so it was a big surprise to everyone when he signed professional terms with Rovers hated cross-city rivals Hull FC.

He made his debut for the black and white’s in September 1912 and went on to score 17 tries in his first season for the Airlie Birds. At the time that Jack signed Hull were in the process of putting together a team with the express purpose of winning the Challenge Cup having suffered the fate of being the first team ever to lose 3 consecutive finals in the most famous rugby league competition in the world.

In the 1913-14 season that aim was achieved as Jack scored the second, and decisive, try in the final played at Thrum Hall in Halifax against Wakefield Trinity which Hull won 6-0.

On 1 September 1914 Jack married his sweetheart Lilian Ellis and they set up home in Wharncliffe Street and then Chanterlands Avenue in West Hull. Married life obviously suited him as he then embarked on his record breaking season for the side from The Boulevard scoring 52 tries in the 1914-15 season (not 1913-14 as some publications would have you believe.)

Jack never played rugby league again after that season feeling his place was in the classroom and with Lilian and their new son Jackie before he enlisted for the East Yorkshire Regiment on 4th November 1915 and he was selected for officer training at the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps and was subsequently commissioned as a probationary 2nd Lieutenant.

On 25th March 1917 he won the Military Cross, the citation for this award reads as follows: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He handled his platoon with great courage and skill, reached his objective under the most trying conditions and captured a prisoner. He set a splendid example throughout.

Jack’s battalion of the Hull Pals were then sent to the fight at Oppy Wood in northern France and it was here, on 3 May 1917, that Jack was killed in action. Seeing his men being pinned down and systematically slaughtered in No Man’s Land by fierce German machine gun fire Jack, showing total disregard for his own safety and armed only with a pistol and a mills grenade, dashed single-handed towards the machine gun nest, tragically he was shot dead but only at the time when he threw the grenade at the machine gun which subsequently fell silent and never fired again.

As a result of this outstanding piece of bravery Jack Harrison’s number 6 platoon were able to get to safety and regroup. Unfortunately his body was never found having either sunk into the quagmire of mud that was the battlefield or been blown apart by the heavy artillery shells that hit the battlefield constantly.

His wife was presented with his Victoria Cross by King George 5th in March 1918, the citation for the award which appeared in the London Gazette on 14th June 1917 reads: For the most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice in an attack. Owing to darkness and to smoke from the enemy barrage and from our own, and to the fact that our objective was in a dark wood, it was impossible to see when our barrage had lifted off the enemy front line. Nevertheless 2nd Lieutenant John Harrison led his company against the enemy trench and under heavy rifle and machine gun fire, but was repulsed. Re-organising his command as best he could in No Man’s Land he again attacked in darkness, under terrific fire, but with no success. Then turning round, this gallant officer single-handed made a dash at the machine gun, hoping to knock-out the gun and so save the lives of many of his company. His self-sacrifice and absolute disregard of danger was an inspiring example to all. He is reported missing; presumed dead.

He is the only professional rugby league player to have won the Victoria Cross and it seems highly unlikely that his record of 52 tries in a season for Hull FC will ever be beaten so his name truly belongs in rugby league folklore but not just for his record-breaking try scoring exploits, hero is a word used far too often and easily these days but, in my humble opinion, Jack Harrison defines the word hero.

Arranged by Lisa Jewitt, Jed Rust and everybody else at FC Voices this was a really enjoyable event and even had a part that could have been for rugby league fans in general as well as Hull FC supporters.

We were given the chance to look round an impressive display of shirts and memorabilia just inside the school which now stands where the famous old ground was and able to chat with some of the great players, both past and present, who have represented this 150 year old club with a picture of Jack Harrison VC looking down over us as though reminiscent of his days on the front-line in World War 1.

Johnny Whiteley MBE, Cyrille Sykes, Lee Crooks, Danny Houghton, Kirk Yeaman and Gareth Ellis to name just a few, with coaches Richard Horne, Andy Last and Lee Radford as well.

Other names that should be remembered were Matt Donkin, Craig O’ Donnell and Jez Cassidy, all of who had graced the famous turf in front of the famous old Threepenny Stand which had a fearsome reputation of turning opposition players legs to jelly, it was no respecter of reputations.

It was fitting that such a well organised, and genuinely fun, event should be blessed with bright sunshine just two days before the clubs actual 150th birthday while the players provided a bit of star quality to the proceedings.

Owner Adam Pearson wandered around, chatting with players and supporters alike and a very friendly atmosphere prevailed throughout as memories, both old and recent, were shared.

There was also the unveiling of the blue RFL heritage plaque, designating this place as an original rugby league ground when this great sport was born out of solidarity and revolt in 1895.

From personal experience I’ll never forget what this ground meant to me, I noted that ‘Trev Loves Janice’ no longer adorns the wall of a house on the corner of Boulevard and Airlie Street, I was also very well reminded of the terrible record that Leeds had when they came to play here.

I also remember the first time my dad took me there when I was about 4-years-old and being hooked immediately standing at the Airlie Street end of the ground down at the front with the scoreboard behind us. But of course the days on Threepenny were the most fondly remembered memories.

What a day, what a place, this is what memories are made of, thank you!